04/29/2002 04:00 PM Senate RES

                                                                                                                                
             HB 53-SEISMIC HAZARDS SAFETY COMMISSION                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN  JOHN TORGERSON  called  the Senate  Resources  Committee                                                            
meeting to  order at 4:00  p.m. and announced  HB 53 to be  up for                                                              
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHN DAVIES,  sponsor  of HB  53,  said that  most                                                              
other  states  formed  earthquake  commissions  after  the  second                                                              
largest  earthquake in  Alaska that  measured 9.2  on the  Richter                                                              
scale.  He added, "Alaska,  ironically,  is the  only one to  date                                                              
that hasn't."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
He  said it's  important  to  understand the  distinction  between                                                              
preparedness for  disaster and mitigating it. Preparation  is done                                                              
to make sure  things are in  place, like exit routes  and response                                                              
plans, when  a disaster occurs. Mitigation  is done ahead  of time                                                              
to  reduce the  effects of  the expected  disaster.  He said  that                                                              
building codes  are a form  of mitigation for earthquake  country.                                                              
When disasters are infrequent, such  as large earthquakes, there's                                                              
a tendency to forget about the risks;  that is why a commission is                                                              
necessary. Representative  Davies said his main concern  is that a                                                              
systematic look be  taken at what steps the state  should take, so                                                              
that  when  the next  earthquake  occurs,  the  loss of  life  and                                                              
property is reduced.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WILKEN questioned  why another  section of government  is                                                              
necessary to do this instead of DMV or the University.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVIES  answered   that  government  tends  to  be                                                              
segmented into  different areas. He  is proposing a  commission be                                                              
established in the executive branch  so that it has the ability to                                                              
look across  inter-agency lines.  Although DMV and  the University                                                              
have taken some  steps, in his and others'  estimation (structural                                                              
engineers  from Anchorage  and scientists  from the University  of                                                              
Alaska), the state  has not taken some steps that  it should have.                                                              
He  pointed out,  "If we  have this  commission  that's above  the                                                              
individual agency level,  we will get the appropriate  look at the                                                              
problem that we're not getting now."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WILKEN asked if all four fiscal notes are current.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAVIES   replied  that  two  are   redundant.  The                                                              
Division of Geological  and Geophysical Surveys  (DGS) fiscal note                                                              
contains some  travel costs  that are also  built into  the fiscal                                                              
note from the Governor's Office.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HALFORD said  he  noticed the  commission  will have  the                                                              
authority to  accept grants, contributions and  appropriations and                                                              
asked if any are pending right now.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES  said he didn't know of any  but that grants                                                              
are generally available through federal agencies.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HALFORD  pointed out  the fiscal  note is incredibly  low,                                                              
but it's  covered by  the fact  that DNR  would provide  technical                                                              
support from existing positions.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. MILTON  WILTSE, Director, DGS,  DNR, stated support for  HB 53                                                              
because similar  commissions have been very effective  in bringing                                                              
together private and  public sector organizations to  look at ways                                                              
to mitigate  the impacts  of an earthquake  and how to  get things                                                              
done  on a  voluntary basis,  through building  codes and  various                                                              
public policies.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. GARY CARVER  said he is also  a geologist who moved  to Kodiak                                                              
five years  ago from California.  He had a considerable  amount of                                                              
experience   interacting  with  the   California  Seismic   Safety                                                              
Commission  in California,  so  he has  a  first hand  perspective                                                              
regarding  this  issue.  The  California  commission  was  created                                                              
because California is  in a high seismic exposure  area and lacked                                                              
any kind of coherent way to provide  expertise to decision makers.                                                              
He noted, "Creation  of the commission there provided  the kind of                                                              
focus that  we need here  in Alaska and,  over the long  haul down                                                              
there, has more than paid its way  in reducing earthquake losses…"                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. SHELDON  WINTERS, State Farm  Insurance, said that  State Farm                                                              
works with commissions in other states  and has found them to be a                                                              
very  effective way  to identify  mitigation  issues for  disaster                                                              
potential of  major earthquakes.  He said,  "A commission  such as                                                              
this allows for  coordination of the different  agencies, programs                                                              
and expertise, and  allows for consistent policies  to be followed                                                              
by all those agencies."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR moved to pass HB 53  from committee with individual                                                              
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.  There were no                                                              
objections and it was so ordered.